Shelton starts Basel with controversial win

Ben Shelton kick-started his career debut at the Swiss Indoors as the American defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday in the opening round.

The Floridian. coached by his former ATP player father Bryan, duplicated his win over the Argentine from last spring, when he won the Houston title while saving a match point.

Shelton, seeded sixth, broke Etcheverry once to earn the opening set on a disputed call and did it again for 3-2 in the second as he imposed his game on the South American, a 2023 quarter-finalist here.

The American advanced to the second round as he set up three match points with his eighth ace and converted on his first opportunity after 73 minutes.

He ended with 20 winners and a dozen unforced errors.Shelton benefitted from a controversial ruling as he broke in the sixth game of the opening set, as a ball was ruled to have first touched Etcheverry’s leg, handing the decisive point to the seed.
“We need VAR – replays – in tennis,” Shelton said. ‘That needs to become a part of the game, it’s a game of millimetres.
“Things like this can change the course of a match . I feel bad for Tomas. If my team (near the scene of the incident) had told me it landed good, I would have given him the point.
But I couldn’t see the ball, I was 20 feet behind my baseline.”

The winner was pleased with his efficient victory: “I went into the match with a lot of confidence after the way I’ve been playing, Shelton said.

“I’m comfortable on this surface and I’m pushing hard to the end of the season,” added the ATP No. 23.”I executed a good game plan, I’m happy with how I played.”